Independent Andrew Wilkie's threat to " pull support :" for Julia Gillard's government if it reneges on a promise to impose binding limits on the amount that individual members of the public can gamble on poker machines illustrates just how tenuous a hold the government has on the treasury benches.
Australian voters did not have poker machine limits as an option when they went to the last election. This was one of many " deals " cobbled together to get the support of the Greens and the independents to form government.
There has been no consensus on this proposal. There has been no indepth survey of the implementation costs - and what change it would bring on the finances of the pub and club industry - let alone the finances of the various state governments.
Do we want - or do we need - a limit placed on how we can spend our own money ?
And what comes next ? A limit on the amount we can bet on a horse race ? Restrictions on how many lottery tickets we can buy ? A limit on the number of bottles of alcohol we can purchase each month ? A ration on tobacco purchases ?
All of the above could be justified by the health and wealth people as promoting a healthier lifestyle - but is that the level of interference in our daily lives that we will accept ?
If Andrew Wilkie " walks " it may be a good thing. A government that is beholden to the demands of a small power circle is not a government of the people - and this government lacks the ability to make decisions without the nod from these power lords.
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